About Me

Friday, July 04, 2014

The 9th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC) will be held next week in Las Vegas, USA. It is an annual, sometimes twice a year (2009, NYC and Wash DC; 2010, Chicago and Sydney) conference sponsored by the Chicago-based free market think tank, the Heartland Institute.

I was able to attend the 2nd ICCC in March 2009 in NYC, and the 4th ICCC in Chicago in May 2010. In both instances I was given a travel grant by Heartland because MG Thinkers was among the minor NGO co-sponsors of the event, courtesy of our membership at the IPN-initiatied Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change (CSCCC).

I really learned a lot from those two conferences. Listening to famous climatologists, geologists, solar physicists, meteorologists, biochemists and other natural scientists from many countries was sort of a mind-blowing experience for me. Seeing dozens if not hundreds of graphs, charts and tables per day from different panels for 2 1/2 days was conversing to a Greek-speaking person for me in the 2nd ICCC in 2009. Not so when I attended the 4th ICCC in 2010 because I became familiar with many literatures and a number of key speakers then.

The topics and speakers in the ICCC next week are "salivating", to say the least. If I have modest funding, I definitely would have liked to attend this conference and fly back immediately. I hope that I can find a sponsor, or have money of my own, to be able to attend the ICCC next year.

Here is the list of panel discussions and their respective speakers.

July
07

Dinner,
Opening Keynote Speakers and Awards

Meteorologist Joe Bastardi and Congr.
Rohrabacher (invited) will open the program and
set the tone for the conference.. The first
of a series of awards will be given for Outstanding achievement in science, communication,
and other fields.

July
08

Breakfast
Speakers and Awards

Dr. Patrick Moore, a cofounder of Greenpeace,
and John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, plus awards

Panel
1. Climate Change and the Hydrosphere

Oceans have a major effect on the planet’s
climate, and global temperatures are strongly affected by changes in ocean
currents. What does the latest science say about how ocean cycles and related
factors drive climate change?

Are carbon taxes a market-friendly solution
to global warming? An expert panel address es the pros and cons of carbon tax
schemes.

James L. Johnston, The Heartland Institute
- Moderator

Dr. David Kreutzer, The Heritage Foundation

Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise
Institute

Kenneth Haapala, Science and Environmental
Policy Project

Panel
3. Combating Climate Myths with Science Facts

Media outlets and global warming activists
present a constant parade of asserted global warming impacts. A panel of experts discuss how they
separate fact from fiction when talking with reporters and making public presentations.

Norman Rogers - Moderator

Tom Harris, International Climate Science
Coalition

James Taylor, The Heartland Institute

Walter Cunningham, Apollo Astronaut, NASA
(retired)

Panel
4. NIPCC versus IPCC: Physical Science

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Non governmental International Panel on
Climate Change (NIPCC) have released several dueling reports on recent climate
change. How does their physical science compare?

Craig Idso, Center for the Study of CO2 and
Climate Change - Moderator

Dr. Willie Soon, solar physicist and
geoscientist

Dr. S. Fred Singer, Science and
Environmental Policy Project

Dr. Robert M. Carter, Institute of Public
Affairs

Panel
5. Who Benefits from Alarmism?

The global warming debate is filled with accusations of financial
gain and personal self-interest. Who really benefits from alarmism, and how?

James L. Johnston, The Heartland Institute
- Moderator

Ron Arnold, Center for the Defense of Free
Enterprise

Dr. Sonja Boehner-Christiansen, editor,
Environment & Energy

Larry Bell, author, Climate of Corruption

Panel
6. The Right Climate Stuff

A team of scientists and engineers who
worked with NASA to put men on the moon have looked carefully at the science of
climate change. They will discuss what they found.

Leighton Steward, Plants Need CO2 -
Moderator

Thomas Wysmuller, meteorologist, NASA
(retired)

Dr. Hal Doiron, rocket scientist, NASA
(retired)

Walter Cunningham, Apollo Astronaut, NASA
(retired)

Lunch
Speakers and Awards

Dr. Patrick Michaels, senior fellow with
the Cato Institute, and Hon. George Christensen, member of the Australian House
of Representatives, plus awards

Panel
7. Solar Science and Climate

Scientists have long observed a close
correlation between solar variance and the Earth’s climate. How big is the effect,
and what is the mechanism? What does solar activity tell us about future climate?

The urgent need to “stop global warming” is
often cited as the reason for subsidizing renewable fuels such as wind, solar,
and ethanol. Are these efforts to force a transition from fossil fuels
necessary? How much do they cost, and how effective are they?

Tiffany Roberts - Moderator

Dr. Howard Hayden, University of
Connecticut (retired)

Steve Goreham, author of The Mad, Mad, Mad
World of Climatism

Marita Noon, Energy Makes America Great

Panel
9. Communicating Climate Change: The Blogosphere

Media bias has forced global warming
skeptics to turn to the Internet to share discoveries and express their views.
Three prominent bloggers share inside tips, stories, and advice.

The IPCC claims climate change and warming
temperature will harm human health. A panel of experts examine the evidence and
provides the best available science on climate change and human health, as well
as the Obama administration’s abuse of adaption plans.

Dr. E. Calvin Beisner, Cornwall Alliance -
Moderator

Dr. Craig Loehle, National Council for Air
and Stream Improvement

Dr. John Dale Dunn, M.D., Emergency
Physician, Brownwood, Texas

Myron Ebell, Competitive Enterprise
Institute

Panel
12. International Perspectives on Climate Change

The climate change debate is taking place
around the world, with skepticism receiving a chillier reception in some places
and a warmer reception in others. These speakers discuss what is happening
around the world.

The science community has been rocked by
allegations of academic fraud, retractions, and published research that cannot
be replicated. How serious is the problem, and what can be done?

Tom Harris, ICSC - Moderator

Dr. Patrick Michaels, Cato Institute

Dr. Tim Ball, author, The Deliberate
Corruption of Climate Science

Dr. Sonja Boehner-Christiansen, editor,
Environment & Energy

Panel
18. New Estimates of Climate Sensitivity

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, but
just how sensitive is the Earth’s climate to carbon dioxide emissions? The
answer to this question is one of the most important points of contention in
the climate change debate.

What does the latest science tell us about
future climate change? Will there be catastrophic warming, mild warming, mild
cooling, or even catastrophic cooling?

Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise
Institute- Moderator

Dr. Don Easterbrook, Western Washington
University

Willis Eschenbach, independent climate
researcher

Dr. Terrence Flower, St. Catherine
University

Panel
20. The Global Warming Debate in Australia

Australia offers a window into what the
global warming debate in the U.S. might look like in a few years. The country
adopted a carbon tax and other policies at the peak of public and political
interest, and is now repealing those policies.

Dr. Robert Carter, Institute of Public
Affairs - Moderator

Hon. George Christensen, member of the
Australian House of Representatives

Dr. Jennifer Marohasy, Central Queensland
University

Dr. William Kininmonth, Australian
meteorologist

Panel
21. Global Warming as a Social Movement

Global warming advocates often talk about
the moral necessity of battling climate change. Do
sustainability, carbon taxes, and carbon restrictions
really benefit human health and welfare? Is this a moral issue?